BrotherTheo

The most brutally truthful answer to this question is that there is no Brother Theo. He began his life as a mere literary device, the narrator of the Codex Derynianus; he exists only as words printed on paper imprisoned between the covers of the Codex.

But I don’t much like this explanation. It sounds as if it should come from someone in a white lab coat holding a clipboard while looking severely at me over the rims of their spectacles. It’s the kind of answer one would expect from a person who limits their perception of "reality" to what they can physically see and touch or view through a microscope.

At Westercon in July of 1998, Susan and I met and had dinner with Robert Reginald, Katherine’s co-author on the Codex. Over dinner, we had a long, luxurious discussion of the Codex and on other Deryni matters. Originally, Katherine and Rob had intended the Codex to be a simple A-to-Z guide to the people, places and things of the Deryni Universe, told through the mouthpiece of Brother Theo. As he worked on it though, Rob found that the Codex soon became far more than just an Encyclopedia Derynianica, although it is that, too. Is it surprising then, that Brother Theo, the "author" of this work also burst past the limitations initially placed upon him?

In taking on a life of his own rather than being an omniscient narrator, Brother Theo does create certain problems for Codex readers. The consensus of our many discussions about him on the alt.books.deryni newsgroup is that no one person could possibly know everything that Brother Theo does. For an example, Theo appears to live in Kelson’s time, and yet he knows that Camber assumed Alister Cullen’s identity after the latter’s death. As it’s unlikely that Theo was hiding behind a tree at Iomaire watching Joram help Camber assimilate Alister’s memories and physical appearance, how did Theo find out about something that must have been a closely guarded secret through the intervening centuries?

If there is only one Brother Theo, can we trust that he’s an infallible guide to Deryni history? He does not deliberately mislead us, Rob told me once. What Theo has written in the Codex are things he has seen with his own eyes or information he has gathered from what he considers reliable sources. Therefore he prints the truth, or what he sincerely believes to be true. But in looking through old cathedral and castle records, damaged or made partially illegible through age, dampness or faded ink, it’s possible that Theo has drawn incorrect conclusions about both minor and important events of the past.

As for information that comes by word of mouth, how can Theo verify that what he is told is the truth? His sources may not remember events accurately. They may know part of the truth, or the truth, but not the correct context. Sources may also omit or deliberately cover up facts that put them or people they care about in a bad light. Or the sources may themselves be merely repeating what they’ve heard from other people. Histories that are passed down solely by word of mouth have a way of wandering a little farther from the original version with each retelling.

Nor can we be sure that Theo’s own memory is flawless. He has a certain over-fondness for mead, Rob tells us, hence the cup in his hand and the jug on the floor by his right foot in the picture. He may even occasionally allow his own feelings to interfere with the facts he sets down on paper. Most of his entries in the Codex are clear and even-handed, but his opinions have a way of shining through anyway. Imre’s sister Princess Ariella is described as an ‘evil witch,’ Edmund Loris is a ‘black-hearted cleric’ but Stefan Coram is ‘an illustrious and courageous seeker of the truth.’ This occasional but clear bias evident in Brother Theo’s writings does throw doubt on his credentials as an objective historian.

We do know that Theo is not the only narrator in the Codex Derynianus. He had help from the widely traveled Campbell de Broun and from the retired Torenthi courtier and historian, Count Berrhones. But there is no doubt that most of the text is the work of Brother Theo, or at least a collective group under the umbrella name "Brother Theo." The text of the Codex itself actually supports the possibility that there has been more than one contributor to the Codex. Entries for the major characters of the Deryni universe follow a set pattern: The date of birth is stated as is the date of marriage and the name of the spouse if any, as well as any children to come of the match and what became of them. These vital statistics are followed by a brief summary of the life of the main entry, finishing with the death date if the character is deceased, and the name of their successor if that is relevant. It would be a simple matter for each successive Brother Theo to keep writing in this prescribed format where their predecessor left off, making it appear that the Codex had only one very long-lived author.

For the present, I will assume that there have been many Brother Theos at work on the Codex over the years. As the Codex is principally involved with the lives of Kings, Princes and other heads of state in the Eleven Kingdoms, one assumes that each Brother Theo in succession would likely have had to be members of the nobility in their respective states. There is certainly no shortage of courtiers in the Eleven Kingdoms, but what narrows the field of possible candidates considerably is that each Brother Theo must also know of the existence of the Camberian Council. And not only the mere fact that the Council exists, but about the roster of members in their own time and know enough about each one to write a creditable biographical entry for them in the Codex. At very least, each Brother Theo would have to have close ties to at least one Council member either by blood or by long-standing friendship. It would be far simpler for them to be a member of the Council themselves. One absolute requirement is that Brother Theo must be a Deryni, as the Council would never divulge potentially dangerous information to a human, no matter how otherwise trusted.

We can only speculate as to the identities of each Brother Theo through the years. However, since the Codex contains a wealth of information about the Kingdom of Torenth and the Royal House of Furstan that was never brought to light before, I would be willing to wager that Count Berrhones was one such contributor. As he has mostly retired from Torenthi Court life, he may well have already passed Brother Theo’s quill to the next person. There are still many possible candidates for the present Brother Theo. Laran ap Pardyce is a strong possibility as he has been a member of the Camberian Council for many years, and has an established reputation as a scholar. He has also recently gained access to the Royal Library in Rhemuth Castle, a valuable resource for any of the contributors to the Codex. However, I suspect the current Brother Theo is actually Richenda. She too, is a scholar and a courtier as well. Her husband is King Kelson’s close personal friend, and by now Richenda too, must be Kelson’s trusted friend in her own right. She has access to the Royal Library in Rhemuth whenever she happens to be there herself, and she has Camberian Council ties through Bishop Arilan, and with her Aunt Sofiana as well. Richenda’s old friend and teacher Azim often sends her packets of information or brings them to her in person. Are we to believe she asks him to search for obscure records and scrolls out of idle curiousity? Alaric has actively encouraged Richenda to resume the scholar’s life she loves, but he is a busy man. How much attention does he truly pay to how his wife spends her time at her writing desk?

From the time Codex Derynianus reached Deryni fans, readers have asked "Who is Brother Theo?" Since both Katherine and Rob remain relatively silent regarding the author’s identity, we can only speculate by piecing together the clues hidden in the Codex.

The "Introductio" to the Codex provides a copy of the inscription found on the last page of the Codex volume discovered in the R’Kassi Desert by archaeologists. The inscription can be translated as "Codex Derynianus made by Theophilus Brother of the Order of the Penitents of Saint Willibrord of Valoret at the Royal Library of Rhemuth in the fifth year of the reign of King Kelson." The entry for St. Willibrord reveals that St. Willibrord founded a monastery named the Abbey of Christ of King in Andelon, where his followers set up the mother house for the Order of the Penitents of St. Willibrord after his death. In 1126 the Grand Master of that Order is one Theophile de Chardin.

But are Theophile de Chardin and the Brother Theo who wrote Codex the same person? For that matter, is Brother Theo just one person or a pseudonym for a group of authors or a series of authors? Andelon is located near the R’Kassi Desert which might partially explain how the Codex became lost and buried there, although why Brother Theo would have taken it across the R’Kassi Desert to reach King Kelson remains a mystery, since Gwynedd is in the opposite direction. Perhaps Brother Theo attempted to deliver the text to Kelson while the king was spending time in an Eastern realm. Whatever, we can assume the Codex never reached Kelson since we have no evidence that he learned the truth about the Camber/Alister situation, despite his quest for knowledge about the Deryni saint.

Then again, Brother Theo may have provided Kelson an edited version of Codex. He seems to have carefully edited many entries, since he reveals explicit details about certain events and individuals, yet keeps the details surrounding other events and individuals vague. While he may lack knowledge in some areas, his revelations in others and the pattern surrounding the vague entries suggests selective editing. Brother Theo tells all about the Camber/Alister shape change, yet gives only the bare details about the Coram/Rhydon shape change. He tells much about the real Rhydon of Eastmarch, but very little about Coram or any other member of the Camberian Council, beyond revealing their status as Council members and, often, the dates they joined that group. Since he correctly identifies present and past members, Brother Theo must be a member of the Camberian Council. Perhaps his Council oaths forbid revealing details about his colleagues.

Obviously, Brother Theo is Deryni. His writing definitely contains a pro-Deryni slant. But how does he know so much about so many individuals and so much about events in Torenth and Gwynedd which transpired at roughly the same time or over several centuries? In fact, Brother Theo possesses far too much information for any one scholar in an era of limited communications and travel, regardless of his arduous research. Admittedly, he may have used Transfer Portals to visit both the Gwyneddan and the Torenthi courts, but he must then have been or impersonated (via the shape change spell) a noble high in both courts. And even then, time would limit the amount of knowledge he could have amassed.

Logic suggests that Brother Theo is a pseudonym used by a group of authors, most likely high-ranking Deryni nobles. Obviously these authors are educated men and women (although a woman likely couldn’t publish a text under her real name in medieval Gwynedd), probably members of the Camberian Council or some Secret Circle within the Camberian Council. Council members obviously kept secrets: Arilan did not know about Coram/Rhydon in High Deryni and Coram and Laran appear to share a special working relationship in "The Priesting of Arilan." Indeed, Coram’s knowledge and skill at shape-changing suggest he must have belonged to the Secret Circle, both because he and others in that group may have used that spell in their pursuit of knowledge and because he seems to possess so much secret knowledge. One could surmise that Laran might also belong to the Secret Circle. (Katherine has admitted that a Secret Circle may exist and that the de Courcy family probably was involved in it, although she has neither confirmed nor denied this group’s connection to Brother Theo).

While a team of authors explains Brother Theo’s knowledge of events in the Kelsonian era, this does not explain the author’s detailed knowledge of historical events, particularly those surrounding St. Camber of Culdi. Thus the Secret Circle must have existed for centuries, probably passing the quill pen down to new members through an elaborate arcane ritual. Its origins may date back to the post-Restoration era, specifically the reign of Rhys Michael Haldane. We know that Camlin MacLean was writing a history in 928 (in The Bastard Prince) at the Michaeline Sanctuary and that Queron and Joram had been working on a special project related to Saint Camber. Could that project have been the creation of Camber’s Secret Circle (within the Camberian Council) and the beginning of a Deryni history?

Since Camlin resided at Sanctuary and was close with many of the Camberian Council members it seems likely that he eventually joined the group, But perhaps the Secret Circle dates back even further, to that Secret Circle within Gabrillite Order to which Queron alluded in The Harrowing of Gwynedd when he, Joram, and Evaine explored the ruins beneath Grecotha. Perhaps the Secret Circle even has Airsid origins; Brother Theo keeps his is comments about that group sparse also.

The Nyford entry tells us that the Forcinn Michaelines ran a sea service there, which suggests that some Michaelines were in close proximity to St. Willibrords and may have had connections within that abbey. Perhaps the Secret Circle met at St. Willibrords and hid their manuscripts there. By 1128 the Camberian Council had access to the Rhemuth Library, although given Charissa’s knowledge of the Portal there and the fact that Joram and other Council members helped build that Portal, it seems safe to assume they used references there and hence indicated that Codex was written there. The Royal Library notation also lends credence to the facts in the volume by suggesting that the author or authors had access to the court.

The name "Theophilus" (which means "lover of God") appears in the New Testament. Interestingly enough, Luke addresses the Book of Acts to Theophilus, the book which contains the story of Saul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus, the very reading profoundly effects Jehana (in The King’s Justice) when the Lord’s "Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?" becomes Camber saying "Jehana, Jehana, why dost thou persecute me?" (Perhaps Azim, who arranged this event, thus belongs to the Secret Circle, too).

The choice of the pseudonym Theophilus then reflects the Secret Circle authors’ desire to free the Deryni from persecution, to remind all of Camber’s sanctity, and to hint at their origins without revealing their identities. Perhaps the authors also wished to present readers with a mystery to solve. If so, they have succeeded.